Data published today (March 25 2021) confirms there was a fall in the number of divorces in the UK during lockdown and not the rise that was widely predicted, says Boodle Hatfield, the leading private wealth law firm. The number of divorce petitions filed fell to 82,277 from April 1 to December 31 2020, down 5% from 86,528 in the same period in 2019.
At the beginning of the pandemic, commentators widely predicted lockdown would lead to a rise in the number of couples filing for divorce. Many believed the pressures of home schooling, working and living under the same roof for months at a time would cause more marriages to break down than in a typical year.
Katie O’Callaghan, Partner at Boodle Hatfield’s Family practice says: “The rise in divorces has simply not happened in the ways that were predicted last year.”
“During times of extreme economic uncertainty, we often find people put plans to initiate divorce proceedings on hold. A divorce can cause a sudden disruption to a couple’s finances, for example the cost of having to run two households rather than one.”
“That desire not to add to the stress of lockdown by taking on the financial and emotional challenge of a divorce seems to have played its part in keeping the divorce rate down.”
“If your finances have taken a hit during the pandemic you may want to avoid the added financial stress of a divorce. When normality is restored, we anticipate that the divorce rate will start to climb again and there are signs that divorce petitions are rising.”
